Look....I've tried it for years using numerous brands (always with tea-bags). But I never quite developed a preference for tea over coffee. I drink a moderate amount of coffee, always with sweetener and creamer.
I've read of the possible benefits of "green" tea, so that's what I've been trying. Current brand in the USA I use....Bigelow Organic Green-Tea. I'm looking for a brand that is relatively cheap and readily available, and a method that is relatively easy. Dunking a tea-bag into hot water is what I do now......maybe there's an easy alternative method that returns a better-tasting tea?
Developing a taste for tea?
Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee
Tea-EGG?
Over here in the Netherlands we use a special kind of spoon to hold the leaves while we infuse them. There are two spring loaded screens or spoon-shaped blades that hold the leaves, with enough holes to allow the water to infuse.
Once you have finished brewing the tea, you can throw the leaves in your compost container, so ensuring it remains green lol. Actually, the paper in teabags is biodegradable too, but it may not bee so green in its manufacturing.
Here is a picture of one such device.
Embedded wicked long URL -- please do this w/ all long URL's!
Wow. I hope that works. If not, google for images of "Tee-ei". That's the Dutch and German name for this article. Hopefully you will find a retailer in America who can supply one. Drinking 8 to 10 cups a day, I expect my double spoon to last about 18 months.
HTH
Bye
Once you have finished brewing the tea, you can throw the leaves in your compost container, so ensuring it remains green lol. Actually, the paper in teabags is biodegradable too, but it may not bee so green in its manufacturing.
Here is a picture of one such device.
Embedded wicked long URL -- please do this w/ all long URL's!
Wow. I hope that works. If not, google for images of "Tee-ei". That's the Dutch and German name for this article. Hopefully you will find a retailer in America who can supply one. Drinking 8 to 10 cups a day, I expect my double spoon to last about 18 months.
HTH
Bye
Bluefront,
trying many different teas will probably be necessary, as everyone's tastes are a little different.
I was on a business trip to Ireland for a week, and I used to wonder why they seem to have a big preference for Tea, but when I got there, I discovered that they usually used a much better green tea than the cheap black generic teas that I associated with the name tea.
Since then, I have also noticed that just about every Irish or English person that I have worked with since always has a supply of tea sent over from colleagues back home.
trying many different teas will probably be necessary, as everyone's tastes are a little different.
I was on a business trip to Ireland for a week, and I used to wonder why they seem to have a big preference for Tea, but when I got there, I discovered that they usually used a much better green tea than the cheap black generic teas that I associated with the name tea.
Since then, I have also noticed that just about every Irish or English person that I have worked with since always has a supply of tea sent over from colleagues back home.
Tea Eggs
Well, the loose leaf tea you can buy from specialist shops is much better than the tea you can get in bags from the volume manufacturers. And cheaper than the tea bags you get from niche vendors. As far as my personal (and apolitical) preference, of Lapsang Souchong from Formosa, is concerned, over here I pay about €9 - $13 of your US dollars - for my monthly half-pound of tea. I make that about €0.03 per cup. For comparison, the yuck stuff from the super market chain comes out at around €0.02.So that sort of tea strainer makes the tea tastier than a tea-bag? How so?
Another reason for choosing this sort of strainer over the tea bag is you can vary the load. You can make your tea stronger or weaker by varying the immersion time, but you can also vary the quantity of leaves, because the longer the tea is immersed, the colder and more bitter it becomes.
And why not use a tea-pot? You did not ask, but I can hear the anticipation .... because the pot needs an extra big dose of tea to protect you against putting too much water in, because it's just another awkwardly shaped object to put in the dishwasher, because you still need a strainer to prevent the leaves from getting into your cup.
So as much as it pains me to admit that the wretched Europeans might have a better idea than the English (who, you remember,
), in this case, I am a convert... are best, I wouldn't give tuppence for all the rest
Most of all because of the varieties of tea you can drink. I buy mine from Simon Levelt
And how did you work that magic with the long URL? [/quote]
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Bluefront
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Well...as I said, I have tried maybe a hundred different brands over the years. That's why I speculate the preparation method I use might be improved.
I use boiling water, into which I dunk a tea bag. And since I live alone, and only would drink a cup or two, several times a day (like my coffee usage), making a whole pot would be a complete waste.
Also...is tea-drinking an acquired taste, something you have to work at...like coffee? Does anyone start drinking tea thinking it tastes great? Perhaps I just need to throw away my coffee, and start drinking tea exclusively for an extended time. I know when I was young, I hated coffee, as well as beer....now of course that has changed.
I didn't change your long link....it was a moderator. Here's how you do it...
[url=longlink.com]name of link[/urx] (substitute an "L" for the last "X").
I use boiling water, into which I dunk a tea bag. And since I live alone, and only would drink a cup or two, several times a day (like my coffee usage), making a whole pot would be a complete waste.
Also...is tea-drinking an acquired taste, something you have to work at...like coffee? Does anyone start drinking tea thinking it tastes great? Perhaps I just need to throw away my coffee, and start drinking tea exclusively for an extended time. I know when I was young, I hated coffee, as well as beer....now of course that has changed.
I didn't change your long link....it was a moderator. Here's how you do it...
[url=longlink.com]name of link[/urx] (substitute an "L" for the last "X").
i boil the water with an electric kettle, put sugar in my cup, put a teabag on my spoon, hold the spoon over my cup, and pour the boiled water very slowly onto the middle of the teabag. takes a while and my arm hurts, but i like it. the teabag filters the hard water so i get a smoother cuppa. sugar first because i have 5 spoons of it in a really big mug, and i want to fill it as much as possible.
Acquired taste? I never got that, you don't think it tastes good, but keep on drinking untill it's tasty? Seems so odd to me.
Anywho, you're standardized teabag in boiled water really doesn't do tea justice. It's like instant coffee, it's the same yet with less taste.
I too use the method of making tea that Dutchmm described, which is really a 300% improvement in taste, depending on where you get your tea supply of course.
Anywho, you're standardized teabag in boiled water really doesn't do tea justice. It's like instant coffee, it's the same yet with less taste.
I too use the method of making tea that Dutchmm described, which is really a 300% improvement in taste, depending on where you get your tea supply of course.
I drink "mate" every day.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mate_%28beverage%29
It tastes much better than green tea.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mate_%28beverage%29
It tastes much better than green tea.
Many things are considered to be an aquired taste. For me, I can point a few things out that I didn't use to like, and now enjoy thoroughly. I ate / drank them enough and eventually came around. Don't ask me how that works... lol.seraphyn wrote:Acquired taste? I never got that, you don't think it tastes good, but keep on drinking untill it's tasty? Seems so odd to me.
Beer, dry wine, coffee, asparagus, hot sauce. Used to hate all of em, now it's some of my favorite stuff. I used to drink beer just cause it was the thing to do, but I could barely finish one.
Tea strainers gave birth to the "tea ball" (has other names as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_strainer
"Tea Balls"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_infuser
Some tea balls, and a place that sells teas etc.
http://www.englishteastore.com/teabain.html
Andy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_strainer
"Tea Balls"
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea_infuser
Some tea balls, and a place that sells teas etc.
http://www.englishteastore.com/teabain.html
Andy
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Bluefront
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As I suspected....there's a million different ways to do this. The local tap water in St Louis has been judged to be one of the best-tasting waters in the country. And I believe it......water from many other cities tastes bad to me. So I'll probably always use tap water.
So you say boil the water only briefly......I can't imagine what difference that would make. Water is still the same after boiling a while. Can anyone really tell any difference?
I guess I'll try more brands....as long as I can find them around here. And I'll try the strainer methods. I've got a "tea-ball" somewhere around here. As far as sweetener goes.....I don't/can't use sugar. I've been using Splenda....opinions?
So you say boil the water only briefly......I can't imagine what difference that would make. Water is still the same after boiling a while. Can anyone really tell any difference?
I guess I'll try more brands....as long as I can find them around here. And I'll try the strainer methods. I've got a "tea-ball" somewhere around here. As far as sweetener goes.....I don't/can't use sugar. I've been using Splenda....opinions?
many different way to do it but can't beat a tea bag for simplicity, can you...
Blue, try Numi brand; especially Monkey King - it's green tea with Jasmine, organic. unlike bigger guys they actually use better tea; not just trying to cover lover quality leaves with some smell.
sometimes big stores carry this brand but if not, it's on amazon.
Blue, try Numi brand; especially Monkey King - it's green tea with Jasmine, organic. unlike bigger guys they actually use better tea; not just trying to cover lover quality leaves with some smell.
sometimes big stores carry this brand but if not, it's on amazon.
The water should not be boiled because then it releases oxygen - they say the taste becomes flat. Apparently the oxygen helps in extracting flavour from the leaves. So, remove the heat immediately when the boiling starts and pour it on the leaves or teabag. Hotter water brews the tea faster - long brewing times ruin the taste. Tip: pre-heat the cup or pot! If part of the tea water's thermal energy goes to warming up the container, it naturally affects things like brewing time and efficiency. Loose leaves in a pot should give the best results, but I don't know if I could be able to tell the difference as long as the cheapest of the cheap tea bags aren't used. Those may use leftovers of the leftover material, namely tea leaf dust. 
Some pots have a grill mesh that you put the leaves into and they are thus kept separate from the rest of the pot (not separate from the water, of course).
http://www.englishteastore.com/howtomaketea.html
Some pots have a grill mesh that you put the leaves into and they are thus kept separate from the rest of the pot (not separate from the water, of course).
http://www.englishteastore.com/howtomaketea.html
I had to give up coffee as it has too many nasty side effects. I now have Chinese tea, which is drunk without milk or sugar. I get a big bag of leaves from an Asian grocery store for about $4. It lasts for months. There are quite a few different types, some of which I really don't like. Jasmine is an old favourite.
I have to admit, drinking Chinese tea has been an aquired taste, and I find drinking tea like this is better when it is fairly weak (compared to the way people drink "normal" tea). After a while I have come to find it a subtle but wholesome refreshment.
To prepare Chinese tea I use a ceramic pot, put in a good pinch of leaves, then put the boiled water in. I let it sit for a minute then pour the water down the drain. This "cleans" the leaves. Then I refill it with hot water and let it brew for a while. It doesn't matter if I don't drink the whole pot because it's so cheap. You can also top up the pot with hot water if you want to extend the brew.
I have to admit, drinking Chinese tea has been an aquired taste, and I find drinking tea like this is better when it is fairly weak (compared to the way people drink "normal" tea). After a while I have come to find it a subtle but wholesome refreshment.
To prepare Chinese tea I use a ceramic pot, put in a good pinch of leaves, then put the boiled water in. I let it sit for a minute then pour the water down the drain. This "cleans" the leaves. Then I refill it with hot water and let it brew for a while. It doesn't matter if I don't drink the whole pot because it's so cheap. You can also top up the pot with hot water if you want to extend the brew.
FWIW, I defer to Alton Brown on all matters at the intersection of culinary and geeky:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrqBe9sWHsk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RA7aJqfnX4
I also highly recommend his episode on coffee. And baby-back ribs.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrqBe9sWHsk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RA7aJqfnX4
I also highly recommend his episode on coffee. And baby-back ribs.
On the strength of tea: The english way of making tea is using lots of tea and leave it to brew for a very long time. I think the result is undrinkable. Black and bitter.
What happens when you brew tea is this; The first three minutes of brewing releases the tastes and aromas that you want. Also the caffeine is released making the tea "invigorating". After that acids are released making the tea taste bitter and neutralizing the caffeine. Therefore the correct way to vary the strength is to vary the amount of tea per amount of water.
On the boiling of water: When you boil the water longer the calcium that's in the water settles on the surfaces of the cooker. This makes the water "softer". It has an influence on the taste; whether you like that is a case of personal taste. I had never heard of the oxygen story though.
Monkey King jasmine is great because you can keep poring water on it and the taste keeps improving. This is very different from other tea's and I don't understand how it works but it does. Try it!
BTW. I drink about 2 liters of tea a day and the brewing method is dependent on where I am. At home I use a teapot, at work I use the ball in a cup method. The teapot method is always better.
What happens when you brew tea is this; The first three minutes of brewing releases the tastes and aromas that you want. Also the caffeine is released making the tea "invigorating". After that acids are released making the tea taste bitter and neutralizing the caffeine. Therefore the correct way to vary the strength is to vary the amount of tea per amount of water.
On the boiling of water: When you boil the water longer the calcium that's in the water settles on the surfaces of the cooker. This makes the water "softer". It has an influence on the taste; whether you like that is a case of personal taste. I had never heard of the oxygen story though.
Monkey King jasmine is great because you can keep poring water on it and the taste keeps improving. This is very different from other tea's and I don't understand how it works but it does. Try it!
BTW. I drink about 2 liters of tea a day and the brewing method is dependent on where I am. At home I use a teapot, at work I use the ball in a cup method. The teapot method is always better.
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Bluefront
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Well I started a little quest to find the right tea for me. This will take a while. I'd like it to be a "green tea", but am willing to try other types. So I bought six different types, all different brands. For now I'm sticking with tea-bag types. Later I'll try tea leaves.
Preparation.....pouring over a bag in a cup, steeping in a ceramic pot, pouring over a tea-bag on a spoon, others. Most of these new teas recommend a two minute steep time. One brand, an orange-flavored green tea, recommend a five minute steep time. The one I like out of this first bunch.....a Chinese Oolong tea, which is not a green tea.
One thing that puzzles me.....I've always drunk iced tea without a sweetener. But every hot tea I've ever tried, needs a sweetener. Hard to figure.
Preparation.....pouring over a bag in a cup, steeping in a ceramic pot, pouring over a tea-bag on a spoon, others. Most of these new teas recommend a two minute steep time. One brand, an orange-flavored green tea, recommend a five minute steep time. The one I like out of this first bunch.....a Chinese Oolong tea, which is not a green tea.
One thing that puzzles me.....I've always drunk iced tea without a sweetener. But every hot tea I've ever tried, needs a sweetener. Hard to figure.
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sleepygenius
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Being Asian as well as living in NYC where Chinatown is a train ride away, I have grown up with tea being served every now and then. These are tea leaves that are scooped from a container and placed in a teapot to brew. It results in tea leaves sometimes being in your cup. Some of us don't like having leaves in our cup and some of us don't care, I'm part of the latter group. I learned not too long ago that the water should not be boiling hot when pouring into teapot or cup to brew as it doesn't bring out its flavor, but never went to learn why and what goes on.
Not resorting to sweetener to make my tea taste better, it is an experience to savor the flavor of the specific tea leaves in your cup. Starting in the past 2 years have I sought to distinguish the taste between various Asian types of tea leaves, but haven't drank much tea lately due to being busy. I recently discovered a very intriguing flavor called "Oolong-Green Tea" (translated directly from Chinese) that I bought several months ago from a store called "Ten Ren" that specializes in tea.
Not resorting to sweetener to make my tea taste better, it is an experience to savor the flavor of the specific tea leaves in your cup. Starting in the past 2 years have I sought to distinguish the taste between various Asian types of tea leaves, but haven't drank much tea lately due to being busy. I recently discovered a very intriguing flavor called "Oolong-Green Tea" (translated directly from Chinese) that I bought several months ago from a store called "Ten Ren" that specializes in tea.
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adam_mccullough
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I've never understood why anyone would put sugar in tea. It tastes incredibly sickly to me, even with half a spoonful in there... it just becomes a completely different drink. Also it's really bad for your teeth. And I've never even heard of anyone putting sugar in green tea before - that's a strange idea. Green tea usually has such a delicate flavour, surely sweetening it would just make it taste like sugared water?
Then again I guess I've known people who consider it a travesty to have milk in coffee - something I do as a matter of course. Having said that, I am from the British isles and admittedly ignorant of the world of coffee compared to my friends from the US and mainland Europe.
Then again I guess I've known people who consider it a travesty to have milk in coffee - something I do as a matter of course. Having said that, I am from the British isles and admittedly ignorant of the world of coffee compared to my friends from the US and mainland Europe.
Lol, bluefront the tea balls and ceramic pots get annoying. If you decide you like tea, get one of these, really. You just put the tea in, wait 2 minutes, pick up the pot and place on a cup. The tea drains out and no leaves get through.
teavana is the best online source of tea I know of; I don't have any local tea shops available. Its teas are fresh unlike what I get at the grocery store.
If you've got a tea shop nearby, it's probably just as good if not better (since the owner can recommend to you what you'd like best.)
White tea is sweeter than green tea btw, albeit more expensive... Oolong teas mentioned are great, though I think expensive - they're somewhere between green and black.
White is probably the healthiest, black has the most caffeine, green is healthy and cheaper than white. I prefer the taste of green to the others I think. I like white but not as much as green or oolong, though there's probably a lot of variety and differences of quality, maybe i haven't had good white tea yet.
Flavoured teas aren't really what to go after; you want to appreciate the taste of tea I'd think.
Pomegranate juice is healthy as well if you just want to drink something healthy. It's sweet, though it stains and is pricey for a juice...
teavana is the best online source of tea I know of; I don't have any local tea shops available. Its teas are fresh unlike what I get at the grocery store.
If you've got a tea shop nearby, it's probably just as good if not better (since the owner can recommend to you what you'd like best.)
White tea is sweeter than green tea btw, albeit more expensive... Oolong teas mentioned are great, though I think expensive - they're somewhere between green and black.
White is probably the healthiest, black has the most caffeine, green is healthy and cheaper than white. I prefer the taste of green to the others I think. I like white but not as much as green or oolong, though there's probably a lot of variety and differences of quality, maybe i haven't had good white tea yet.
Flavoured teas aren't really what to go after; you want to appreciate the taste of tea I'd think.
Pomegranate juice is healthy as well if you just want to drink something healthy. It's sweet, though it stains and is pricey for a juice...
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Bluefront
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Trip....I just looked at those tea makers. It looks like you would have to drain out all the tea immediately after the steeping, otherwise whatever was left would continue to steep. Now I usually don't drink more than a cup or so at a time, and I might leave the remainder in the tea-pot (after removing the tea bags). That way the tea remains warm enough to drink for a while.
Being a beginner at this "sport"......I can only apply the various methods of tea-making to how I actually drink tea. Learning process I guess. I'll also have to try to find tea sources other than the grocery store......but the store near my house must have a hundred different types/brands.
Reading on-line....seems like the water temp should be 180-190F right before steeping. This is somewhat below the boiling point......
Being a beginner at this "sport"......I can only apply the various methods of tea-making to how I actually drink tea. Learning process I guess. I'll also have to try to find tea sources other than the grocery store......but the store near my house must have a hundred different types/brands.
Reading on-line....seems like the water temp should be 180-190F right before steeping. This is somewhat below the boiling point......
Green tea should not be put in quite as hot water as black tea. Idea is still to boil the water but then to let it cool down a little before putting the tea in.
Putting my trust in a radomly chosen online celcius to fahrenheit converter, the 180-190F suggested in a previous post is also what I have been told for black tea.
For green tea - generally - the water should cool to 70-75 degrees celcius wich is about 160-170 F (a little less atually, but roughly) before the tea goes in.
I have forgotten the explanation behind it but that should make for better tasting green tea.
Edit:
Noticed a comment on Ice tea. Most receipies for home made ice tea contain a lot of sugar.
Most ready made ice teas have about the same level of sugar as soda (coke, fanta etc.). Additionally most of the ready made products are not directly comparable to "ordinary" hot tea, because they are made from tea-essesence and tea leaf concentrate. Generally speaking Ice tea can be tasty but it is not a healthy product as such - unless it is Long Island Ice Tea of course.
Putting my trust in a radomly chosen online celcius to fahrenheit converter, the 180-190F suggested in a previous post is also what I have been told for black tea.
For green tea - generally - the water should cool to 70-75 degrees celcius wich is about 160-170 F (a little less atually, but roughly) before the tea goes in.
I have forgotten the explanation behind it but that should make for better tasting green tea.
Edit:
Noticed a comment on Ice tea. Most receipies for home made ice tea contain a lot of sugar.
Most ready made ice teas have about the same level of sugar as soda (coke, fanta etc.). Additionally most of the ready made products are not directly comparable to "ordinary" hot tea, because they are made from tea-essesence and tea leaf concentrate. Generally speaking Ice tea can be tasty but it is not a healthy product as such - unless it is Long Island Ice Tea of course.
Oh! I so know this. Get some Wissotzky green tea(http://www.wtea.com/product-item.aspx?item=33), put the teabag in the mug, 1 tsp of sugar 1 tsp honey, wait for water to boil, pour the water in till it reaches half the mug, wait 3-5 mins, then pour in some cool water. Perfection!